River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-06-30

This is the laenrd of the leading
civilized nations OF the world nearly a
decade ago; the report now (l8S7)
would swell the total TO over three
billions of dollars. Black heathendom
cannot parallel this record. Indeed,
heathendom is learning that civiliza-
ton means small amount of gospel
and an overwhelming amount of whis-
key. Statistics, quantities of them.
could be built out of our summing up
of this vast atrocity of our civilization
showing how many empty beer kegs
this vast sum represents and how many
times they would belt the globe; but
what we need is rather some way to
belt the beer trallicl Or, we could say,
these billions would build SO many
millions of homes; but something bet
ter would be way to unrOof the homes
of the liquor traffic, the saloons, the
distilleries, breweries and their adj
juncts. the prisons, jails and insane
asylums.
Statistics, figured out in what could
be done, only cause the liquor traffic to
smile with gloating pleasure over its
own power. How many people are
there outside of the liquor interest,
who need figures to prove that the liq
uor traffic is the blightiDg curse of all
nations that bear the name of Christ
ianl What can we do about il! Let
us consider one of the answers to this
vital question. AS in every crisis of
the past, the solution of this problem
lies with the God fearing, God serving
people. But they seem asleep to the
danger of the hour. Temperance was
preached by Paul. us well as righteous
ness and judgment, but how seldom
we hear temperance preached nowi
What is the matter with the pulpit!
What numbness is it over the people!
Why should not this horrible traffic in
mems souls meet opposition oft.repeat-
ell from pulpit and pew! You know
you shift off this load, and say it is
none of his; the Sunday school Superin-
tendent says it certainly isn't his bus
mess.
Whose is it. then? Nay, come back
and let us see. If you as a church
member willkindly quietly and persist
emily urge you: pastor to preach on
this vital question; If you will speak to
your Christian friends and ask them to
urge the same duty on your pastor; if
you will make the subject one of pray
er; if you will speak about it in prayer
meeting, to your Sunday-schOOl class,
to your Sundav-school superintendent,
you will start forces at work. Your
pastor will preach about it; your class
will sign the pledge, and your superin-
tendent will not be afraid to urge
temperance as well as righteousness.
Many Christians are reversing the
divine word, TO walk in the light. For
them public sentiment on this huge,
eyer present liquor question is the light
and they walk in it; and just now pub
lie sentiment is very poor guide as
TO "what we can do. Remembering
IIuss, Luther, Knox and in later days,
VIM Lloyd Garrison, John Brown and
the Crusade of the Nineteenth Century,
see how positive and certain of results
il is to create an exalted public SEN
timent through taking deliberate
purpose to oppose in every possible
way the incrOachments OF iniquity.
The difficulty is to make men know
that it takes the same independence
of thought and action now as in the
days of Luther, to fight an evil which
is ensconced as safely behind legisla-
tors robes as ever was Tetzel with his
behind the scarlet robes
of Rome. And If they see this, they
still slide away from known duty
because their opportunities are so
Every one living has his or
her public. Who dares to affirm in
this day of brain prowess that any
honest effort of any kind is small!
The touch of finger can bring an
explosion, tearing away the jagged
rocks of Hell-gate, or set in motion
pOnderous machinery hundreds Of
miles away, or fash word of living
under the sea to other lands.
Are divinely made souls and minds
less deIicately connected than the de-
vices of men, or less able to respond to
a touch of the Divine finger.
DR.. Prime says: 1.-THE mystery of
the wonder of wonders is
that the Christian world can look on
with such comparative indifference
when the evil of intemperance is so
the remedy SO simple, and
the power so manifestly in the wise
ana the good" 1t lies with you and
g0u and you, to create public senti-
ment. May God help the reader of
these words to say that this is truel
Faith is said to consist of three steps,
knowledge, assent, consent" Power
may equally be defined as definition.
conviction, action. VIII you act!